Skream – ‘Bang That’ (Boys Noize Records)

Boysnoize Records perhaps wouldn’t have always been the most obvious imprint for the one-time Dubstep prodigy Skream to release a single on, but then his career has taken a dramatic turn since the days of FWD>> at Plastic People. Now recognised as a House and Disco DJ, ‘Bang That’ is Skream’s contribution to a style of 4/4 music that’s seen a significant resurgence in recent years.

For the drawn-out intro, a brash riff plays out with a slight variation in pitch before the inevitable breakdown and drop. At this point the style changes as Skream adds punchy beats, which see little variation throughout the track. A few chords play out above rolling drums around halfway through, but, again, they become repetitive and offer little to the imagination. It’s with the final drop and subsequent drum loop and Dubstep riff once again that I’m lost – it’s hard to discern exactly what Skream’s aiming for here.

Having listened through a few times, I played ‘Midnight Request Line’ instead, remembered my first DMZ night at Brixton Mass and wondered where it all went wrong. ‘Bang That’ might raise some cheers at a house party, but for me this just isn’t exciting music.